Curaçao football fans watch the final qualifying match for the FIFA World Cup in a Rotterdam cafe. Photo: AFP / ANP / Marco van der Caaij
Curaçao and Haiti have defied the odds to secure historic qualifying berths for next year's FIFA World Cup.
The two countries clinched top spots in their respective groups to advance from the North and Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region to the 48-team finals in Canada, Mexico and the US.
Haiti beat Nicaragua 2-0 in Curaçao, where it has been forced to play its home fixtures because of the strife in its country, to finish top of Group C.
CURAÇAO HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THEIR FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP ❤️
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 19, 2025
WHAT A MOMENT FOR THE BLUE WAVE pic.twitter.com/Xn4Tm29MAv
Curaçao held Jamaica to a goalless draw away to stay one point ahead of its hosts at the top of Group B, despite being without veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, who returned to Europe at the weekend for family reasons.
A self-governing part of the Netherlands with a population of 156,000, the Caribbean island nation is easily the least populous country to go to the World Cup, beating the previous record held by Iceland with its 350,000 inhabitants.
Curacao lived dangerously in Kingston, where Jamaica was awarded a last-gasp penalty 4 minutes into stoppage time only for the referee to change his decision after consulting VAR.
Jamaica, coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, needed a win to qualify but hit the woodwork three times in the second half and Curacao's team, made up entirely of players born in the Netherlands with Antillean roots, held out to secure a World Cup debut.
HAITI ARE INTO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP IN HALF A CENTURY ❤️ pic.twitter.com/GozOLqXUBb
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 19, 2025
Haiti's qualification was remarkable given that armed gangs have taken control of almost all of the capital, Port-au-Prince, in a conflict that has forced some 1.3 million people from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.
The levels of danger in Haiti are such that coach Sébastien Migne has not been there since being appointed 18 months ago but the Frenchman has nevertheless managed to engineer a fairytale qualification - the country's second after a first appearance in 1974.
Haiti started the final round of fixtures on Tuesday behind Honduras on goal difference, but goals from Louicious Deedson and Ruben Providence lifted it to 11 points, while Honduras drew 0-0 away at Costa Rica and finished on nine.
Panama has also booked a ticket after romping to a 3-0 win over El Salvador to also top its group.
"Los Canaleros" went ahead early after a thunderous strike from wingback Cesar Blackman, with their second coming from the penalty spot courtesy of Eric Davis, who was in the squad when Panama made its only previous World Cup appearance in 2018.
Substitute Jose Luis Rodriguez added a third late in the game.
Suriname had been ahead of Panama on goal difference before the start of Tuesday's games but lost 3-1 in Guatemala.
However, a late own goal kept it in World Cup contention as it will go, along with Jamaica, to the inter-confederation play-off tournament in March.
There, the two CONCACAF teams will be matched against Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and New Caledonia. The six teams will be vying for two spots at the finals.
- Reuters / ABC
